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Perseid Meteor Shower to Peak Monday

A Perseids meteor shower is seen in the sky in the early hours of August 12, 2008 near the town of Sofia. The night between 12 August and 13 August is expected to be the peak of the Perseids meteor shower over the eastern sky, a meteor shower which comes every year, beginning in late July and stretching into August. AFP PHOTO / BORYANA KATSAROVA (Photo credit should read BORYANA KATSAROVA/AFP/Getty Images)

LANHAM, Md. (CBSDC) — The annual Perseid meteor shower will be at peak visibility Monday, according to NASA.

“The Perseids is known as one of the best meteor showers to observe, and this year is no different,” NASA says. “A crescent moon will set shortly after midnight, leaving dark skies from late night until dawn. The Perseids are typically fast and bright meteors that frequently leave trains.”

During the peak viewing period, up to 60 meteors per hour are visible.

The Perseid shower, which has actually been active since July 17 and will continue through Aug. 24, originates from the Swift–Tuttle comet. The shower is named after the constellation Perseus, since that is the point in the night sky from which the meteorites appear to originate.

NASA suggests using naked eyes, not telescopes or binoculars, to spot the event.

“Using either reduces the amount of sky you can see at one time, lowering the odds that you’ll see anything but darkness. Instead, let your eyes hang loose and don’t look in any one specific spot. Relaxed eyes will quickly zone in on any movement up above, and you’ll be able to spot more meteors.”

Resist the urge to check messages on your phone during any lulls in the celestial magnificence, as well. That is a good way to “destroy night vision,” NASA says.

And while meteors can conceivably be spotted from anywhere, getting away from urban light pollution and into the countryside is a safer bet.